96% on Rotten Tomatoes for “one of the best documentaries you’ll see all year”.
After recently launching their new TV station Sky Crime, it appears that the broadcaster has started off on a very strong foot with its first landmark release on the new station, I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth Vs. Michelle Carter.
We’ve had our eye on the HBO documentary for quite some time as the story depicted in the two-part documentary is extremely controversial and interesting.
In July 2014, 18-year-old Conrad Roy died by suicide in his car at a parking lot in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.
Police discovered a series of alarming text messages from his girlfriend, 17-year-old Michelle Carter, that seemed to encourage him to take his own life. This revelation sparked headlines nationwide, leading to a trial that raised difficult questions about technology, social media and mental health, while asking if one person can be held responsible for the suicide of another.
The two-part documentary explores the trial of Michelle Carter, who was charged with manslaughter for sending texts that urged her boyfriend to die by suicide. Interviews with family members and friends are interwoven with the teenage couple’s messages as well as the public’s reaction to a case complicated by mental illness and technology.
The first part of the documentary dealt with the prosecution’s case; the second half focuses on Carter and portrays her as a troubled woman who truly believed she could help Roy.
The first episode of I Love You, Now Die aired on Sunday night on Sky Crime and it left a strong impression on the critics.
Here are some of the critical responses to the first episode of  Erin Lee Carr’s documentary.
Financial Times – “Aficionados of true crime, take to your sofas: here comes another classic of the genre.”
The Guardian – “I Love You, Now Die is a superbly perceptive study of the endless convolutions and complexities of the human mind – and the proliferation of both when two people in a desperately unhappy state meet. ”
Decider– “Layered with the complexities of modern life, I Love You, Now Die is one of the best documentaries you’ll see all year.”
The Hollywood Reporter – “Director Erin Lee Carr (Mommy Dead and Dearest) deftly layers her story with arguments, reveals and twists that will continuously unearth and rebury your opinion on Carter’s culpability, even long after the doc’s final moments.”
Variety – “Clear-eyed and thoughtful, and, in two brisk instalments, manages not to overstay its welcome.”
The Atlantic – “Carr, in what feels like a revelatory move for a documentarian investigating a true-crime case, never comes down on one side or offers up a finite conclusion.”
If you missed the first episode, it’s available to watch on the Sky Player and it’s also being repeated at 12.15am on 13 October on Sky Crime.
The documentary is also available to watch on NOW TV.
The second episode of I Love You, Now Die will air at 9pm on 13 October on Sky Crime.
Take a look at what’s in store.
Clip via HBO
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